CN100564039C - Print cartridge for ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

A print cartridge for an inkjet printer comprising a printing fluid storage device (28, 30, 32, 34) and a pagewidth printhead (52) in communication with the printing fluid storage device, wherein the printing fluid storage device comprises an ink refill port. The ink jet printer includes a cradle apparatus having a body complementary to a removable printer cradle; a data connection point secured to the body for receiving data signals defining a printed image from an external data source; and a processing device coupled to the data connection point and arranged to operate the pagewidth printhead to print the image in response to the data signal.

Description

Print cartridges for inkjet printers

technical field

The present invention relates to a printing system, and more particularly to a removable print cartridge for an inkjet printing system.

Background technique

Traditionally, most commercially available inkjet printers use a printhead that traverses across the width of the print medium while printing. Such printheads are supplied with ink for printing and generally have a limited lifespan after which the printhead needs to be replaced. Due to the size and configuration of the reciprocating printhead, removal and replacement of this element is relatively easy, and the printing apparatus is designed to provide easy access to this element. Although printing systems using such conventional reciprocating printheads have proven capable of printing tasks with sufficient quality, such systems are often slow due to the fact that the printhead must continuously move over stationary print media—especially when used to produce photo-quality prints in working.

More recently, it has been possible to provide printheads that extend across the full width of the print medium so that the printhead remains stationary as the print medium passes forward. Such printheads are often referred to as pagewidth printheads, and because the printhead does not traverse the print media back and forth, much higher print speeds can be achieved with such printheads than with conventional shuttle printheads. However, since the printhead has the length of the print media, it must be supported within the structure of the printing device, and multiple electrical connections are required to transfer electricity and data to drive the printhead, and thus, the printhead cannot be removed and replaced as easily as conventional Reciprocating the print head is so easy.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide a printing system that can provide high quality print jobs at high speeds and that facilitates relatively easy replacement of printheads when required.

Contents of the invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, the print cartridge comprising:

print fluid storage device; and

A pagewidth printhead in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device, wherein the printing fluid storage device includes an ink refill port.

The pagewidth printhead may be configured to produce a print footprint that is at least 8 inches wide, and may include at least 20,000 printing fluid delivery nozzles in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device.

The printing fluid storage means may be housed within a body that includes means for replenishing printing fluid from an external source and may include one or more reservoirs for storing printing ink. The reservoirs independently store a set of color inks sufficient for color printing, as well as ink fixatives to assist in fixing ink delivered by pagewide printheads, and infrared to allow printing in the non-visible spectral range when required for some applications ink.

The print cartridge may include a first electrical connector disposed for electrical connection to the pagewidth printhead and disposed adjacent to the first end of the pagewidth printhead for a first corresponding connection to the inkjet printer device fit. A second electrical connector may also be disposed in electrical connection with the pagewidth printhead and disposed adjacent the second end of the pagewidth printhead for mating with a second corresponding connector of an inkjet printer. With this arrangement, when the print cartridge is housed in the inkjet printer, power and data can be transferred from the inkjet printer to the page through the mating relationship between the first and second electrical connectors and the corresponding electrical connections of the inkjet printer. Wide printhead delivery.

The printer carriage may also include components configured to direct air over the printhead to prevent paper and dust from falling on the fluid delivery nozzles and to prevent print quality degradation of print jobs. The assembly may include a filter for filtering the air before it is directed through the printhead, thereby removing any particulates that may be entrained in the delivered air. The assembly may also include an inlet for receiving air from an external source, such as a source located within an inkjet printer.

Accordingly, in a further embodiment of the invention there is provided a method of facilitating maintenance of an inkjet printer of the type having a pagewidth printhead comprising the steps of:

providing the inkjet printhead in at least first and second parts detachable from each other, the first part requiring more frequent replacement than the second part;

The first of these includes the pagewidth printhead.

The first part may further comprise a printing fluid storage means for storing printing fluid to be delivered by the pagewidth printhead and the printing fluid storage means is in the form of a print cartridge removably receivable within the second part .

The second part may be a printer cradle device having a cavity adapted to receive a print cartridge. The printer cradle may also include an electronic control device for controlling the operation of the print cartridge after it is received within the printer cradle device via power and data connectors provided on said print cartridge. The printer cradle apparatus may also include a print media handling system for supplying print media to the print head of the print cartridge to facilitate printing on the surface of the print media.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides an inkjet printer cartridge comprising: a body comprising:

a printing fluid storage device, and

A printhead comprising at least 20,000 printing fluid delivery nozzles in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage means.

In an alternative embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the printhead may comprise at least 30,000 printing fluid delivery nozzles in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage means. In another embodiment, the printhead may comprise a pagewidth printhead.

The printing fluid storage means of the print cartridge may include one or more storage reservoirs for independently storing one or more printing fluids for printing. This printing fluid may be a set of colored inks sufficient for color printing, and may also include an ink fixative and infrared ink to assist in fixing the ink after delivery by the fluid delivery nozzle.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, an inkjet printer is provided, comprising:

bracket;

An inkjet printing cartridge releasably joined by the bracket, the inkjet printing cartridge comprising:

at least first and second storage means for storing ink and ink fixative, respectively;

a pagewidth printhead in fluid communication with the first and second memory devices; and

Means for controlling application of ink and ink fixative by said printhead to facilitate ink fixation to print media after delivery by said printhead.

The inkjet print cartridge may include other storage means to independently store a set of color inks sufficient for color printing.

According to another embodiment of this aspect of the invention there is provided an inkjet printer cartridge arranged to be releasably coupled by an inkjet printer, said printer cartridge comprising:

at least first and second storage means containing ink and ink fixative, respectively; and

A pagewidth printhead in fluid communication with the first and second memory devices.

According to another embodiment of this aspect of the invention there is provided a method for operating an inkjet printer of the type comprising a print cartridge as described above, the method comprising:

control the pagewidth printheads to print with ink on one medium; and

Applying an ink fixative to the media by controlling the pagewidth printhead facilitates fixing the ink to the media.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

one or more inks used for printing; and

A printhead in fluid communication with the one or more inks; wherein at least one of the one or more inks is an infrared ink.

The print cartridge may further include a body arranged to store ink for printing, and the printhead may be a pagewide printhead attached to the body to facilitate fluid communication. The one or more fluids stored within the body may also include a set of colored inks to enable color printing.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

a printing fluid storage device for storing one or more printing fluids;

a pagewidth printhead in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device; and

A refill port in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device.

The printer cartridge of the present invention may further include a body in which the printing fluid storage device is housed and to which is attached the pagewidth printhead and refill port. Additionally, the printing fluid storage device may include separate printing fluid storage reservoirs for each of the one or more printing fluids, wherein the one or more printing fluids may include a set of Colored inks for printing. Additionally, the refill ports may include one or more inlets corresponding to and in fluid communication with each of the individual printing fluid reservoirs.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a detachable print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

printing fluid storage device;

a printhead in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device; and

An assembly arranged to direct air through the printhead, the assembly including a filter.

The assembly may further include an inlet for receiving air from a source remote from the print cartridge, such as a source disposed within an inkjet printer. The printhead of the print cartridge may include a pagewide printhead, and the filter may have the ability to collect particulate matter present in air received from an external source. In this regard, since the print cartridge is detachable from the inkjet printer, once the print cartridge is replaced, the filter for filtering the air will also be replaced. . The purpose of this assembly is to prevent paper or particulate matter from accumulating or impinging on the surface of the printhead, which could cause damage to the printhead and affect the quality of the print job done by the printhead.

According to a further embodiment of this aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of preventing degradation of a printhead of a removable print cartridge, the method comprising the steps of:

generate an air flow;

filtering particulate matter from the air stream by means of a filter attached to the print cartridge to produce filtered air; and

Directs filtered air through the printhead.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

printing fluid storage device;

a printhead in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device;

air inlets; and

One or more ducts are arranged to direct air from the air inlet through the printhead.

The printhead of the print cartridge may be a pagewide printhead and the print cartridge may be detachable from the inkjet printer to facilitate replacement of the print cartridge.

The air inlet may be arranged to cooperate with a complementary configuration of the inkjet printer, whereby air may be supplied to the print cartridge from an air supply located remotely from the print cartridge.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

printing fluid storage device;

a printhead in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device;

A printing fluid blotter configured to wick ink around the printhead.

In a preferred embodiment, the printing fluid storage means and the printhead of the cartridge may be arranged to be fastened to the body of the cartridge and the printing fluid blotter may be coupled to the body.

The printing fluid blotter may also include an engagement means for engaging a component for selectively engaging the printing fluid blotter with the printhead, and the printing fluid blotter may include an absorbent material configured to Absorbs printing fluid ejected from the printhead when the printhead is not printing on the print media.

The printing fluid blotter is rotatably coupled to the body of the print cartridge and is also slidably coupled to the body. Where the printhead comprises a pagewidth printhead, the blotter may extend along the pagewidth printhead to perform the blotting function along the full length of the printhead.

According to another embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

a body comprising at least one reservoir of printing fluid;

a printhead attached to the body and in fluid communication with the at least one printing fluid reservoir;

a printing fluid blotter rotatably coupled to the body; and

Engagement means located on the printing fluid blotter for engaging a component for selectively causing the printing fluid blotter to engage the printhead.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

printing fluid storage device;

a printhead in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device; and

Auxiliary printhead components arranged to selectively perform a number of different functions with respect to the printhead.

In a preferred embodiment, the different functions performed by the assembly may include at least one of: wicking ink around the printhead, capping the printhead and acting as a platen relative to the printhead.

The assembly of the auxiliary printhead may also include a rotatable element coupled to the print cartridge adjacent the printhead. The rotatable element may comprise a plurality of faces, each configured to perform one of the different functions noted above.

The print cartridge may also include engagement means secured to the rotatable element for engagement by the mechanism of the inkjet printer for selectively engaging the operative face with the printhead. The engagement means can be controlled by the printer to ensure that the components are in the desired orientation required by the particular state of the printer. In this regard, the print cartridge may also include biasing means arranged to normally bias a face of the rotatable element against the printhead so that the assembly is always in a position to perform a desired function.

In a preferred embodiment, the print cartridge includes a pagewidth printhead, wherein the assembly extends the length of the printhead.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

printing fluid storage device;

a printhead in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device; and

A first electrical connector electrically connected to the printhead, the first electrical connector being disposed adjacent the first end of the pagewidth printhead for mating with a first corresponding connector of an inkjet printer.

The print cartridge may also include a second electrical connector disposed adjacent the second end of the pagewidth printhead for mating with a second corresponding connector of an inkjet printer. This electrical connector provides a means in which data and power can be provided to the print cartridge to control the printhead to print on the print media. The mating of the first and second connectors with corresponding connectors of the inkjet printer allows power and data transfer to occur once the print cartridge is engaged with the inkjet printer. In this aspect, the printing fluid storage device, the pagewidth printhead, and the first and second electrical connectors are each attachable to the body of the print cartridge.

According to another embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

an elongated body adapted to be received within an inkjet printer and comprising a printing fluid storage device;

a pagewidth printhead attached to the body and in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device; and

first and second electrical connectors electrically connected to the printhead, the first and second connectors being attached to the elongated body and positioned adjacent opposite ends of the pagewide printhead for contact with the inkjet The first corresponding of the printer mates with the second electrical connector.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

printing fluid storage device;

a printhead in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device; and

a refill port in communication with the ink reservoir, the refill port configured to receive refill ink for replenishing the ink reservoir; and

An integrated circuit assembly configured to store information about at least one refill ink and properties of the ink stored in the ink reservoir.

In a preferred embodiment, the information about the refill ink and the performance of the ink stored in the ink reservoir may include any of the following information: about the amount of ink remaining in the ink reservoir, the source of the refill ink, the rheology of the refill ink chemical properties and the color of the refill ink. Preferably, the integrated circuit package includes an electrical connector mounted on the inkjet printer for connection to the integrated circuit of the refill cartridge containing the refill ink.

In a preferred form, the printhead of the print cartridge is a pagewidth printhead.

In another embodiment of this aspect of the invention there is provided a method for maintaining the authenticity of the ink supply of an inkjet printer, wherein the inkjet printer is of the type comprising a removable print cartridge comprising a An ink storage device in communication with a pagewide print head, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an ink refill cartridge comprising an integrated circuit assembly storing information about the performance of the refill ink;

attaching the ink refill cartridge to the print cartridge; and

A test was performed to compare the performance of the refilled ink with that of the ink stored in the ink storage device.

Preferably, the step of comparing the properties of the refilled ink with the properties of ink stored in the ink storage means includes a step of determining whether the ink has the same properties, such that the ink storage means is refilled by the ink supply means.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

a plurality of storage pools, each dedicated to storing a predetermined printing fluid;

a printhead in communication with the storage pool; and

A refill port is provided to mate with a corresponding connector of the refill cartridge, the refill port including an inlet corresponding to and in fluid communication with each reservoir.

In a preferred embodiment, the printhead of the print cartridge may be a pagewide printhead, and the printing fluid may include any one or more of a set of color inks for color printing, ink fixatives, and infrared inks.

According to an optional embodiment of this aspect of the invention, there is provided an inkjet printer refill system comprising:

a print cartridge having a refill port comprising a plurality of inlets corresponding to and in fluid communication with each of a plurality of reservoirs each dedicated to storing a predetermined one of a plurality of printing fluids; and

at least one refill cartridge containing one of the plurality of printing fluids and including a connector configured to engage the refill port, the connector having an outlet configured to communicate with a particular one The refill port inlet communicates with a particular one of the plurality of storage reservoirs dedicated to storing the printing fluid contained within the refill cartridge.

The print cartridge of the inkjet printer refill system may include a printhead in communication with said printing fluid reservoir, and the printhead may be a pagewide printhead.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

print fluid storage device; and

A pagewide printhead in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device, the printhead including two print chips extending the length of the printhead.

The two print chips are arranged such that they preferably abut together extending the length of the print head.

The print cartridge preferably includes an elongated body adapted to be received within the printer frame and preferably has electrical connectors located at opposite ends of the print head and electrically connected to the two print chips.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

printing fluid storage device;

a pagewidth printhead in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage device; and

A shroud that extends the length of the printhead is configured to protect the printhead from contact with the paper when the print cartridge is inserted into the cradle of the inkjet printer.

Preferably, the print cartridge includes an elongated body to accommodate the printing fluid storage means, wherein the housing is adapted to be removably received within the inkjet printer. The shroud is further configured to act as a shroud to seal off the air ducts of the print cartridge in use.

According to another embodiment of this aspect of the invention, there is provided an inkjet print cartridge comprising:

an elongated body adapted to be received within a printer frame;

at least one printing fluid reservoir housed within the elongated body;

a pagewidth printhead attached to the elongated body and in fluid communication with the at least one printing fluid reservoir; and

A shroud extending the length of the printhead, the shroud is arranged to protect the printhead from contact with the paper when the cartridge is inserted into the cradle of the inkjet printer, and is also arranged to seal the air duct of the inkjet printer cartridge.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

an elongated body containing a printing fluid storage device and adapted to be received within an inkjet printer cradle;

a pagewidth printhead attached to said pagewidth printhead and in fluid communication with said printing fluid storage device; and

An air distribution assembly configured to verify that the pagewidth printheads distribute compressed air evenly.

Preferably, the air distribution assembly includes an air inlet for receiving compressed air from an external source and a channel formed in the elongated body in communication with the inlet and positioned along the pagewidth printhead. The air distribution assembly also includes a filter for sealing over the length of the channel and configured to direct air along its length to the printhead. The filter is configured such that it only allows air to pass through when the air pressure within the channel reaches a threshold level. This can be achieved by having the filter comprise a plurality of pores sized to determine the threshold level.

According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

one or more printing fluid reservoirs;

a printing fluid delivery element defining one or more printing fluid delivery channels; and

A pagewidth printhead in fluid communication with the one or more printing fluid reservoirs via the one or more printing fluid delivery channels.

Preferably, said one or more printing fluid reservoirs are housed within an elongate body and said pagewidth printhead is preferably attached to the elongate body.

The printing fluid delivery element is preferably arranged to extend the length of the printhead and the pagewidth printhead is preferably attached to the elongated body by the printing fluid delivery element. The printing fluid delivery element preferably defines a plurality of printing fluid delivery channels for delivering printing fluid from the reservoir to the printhead.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

a body complementary to a removable inkjet print cartridge of the type having a pagewidth printhead and ink supply;

a data connection point secured to said body for receiving a data signal from an external data source, the data signal defining an image for printing; and

processing means coupled to the data connection point and arranged to operate a pagewidth printhead to print said image in response to said data signal.

Preferably, the body of the inkjet printer cradle defines a recess shaped to receive a removable pagewidth inkjet print cartridge such that the print cartridge is supported by the cradle body. The stand body may also include a power connection point for receiving operating power from an external power source.

According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

a body complementary to each of a plurality of removable inkjet print cartridges, each inkjet print cartridge of the type having a pagewide printhead and ink supply, and each inkjet print cartridge having different performance characteristics ;as well as

a controller configured to determine performance characteristics of each of said plurality of print cartridges when the print cartridge is coupled to said carriage, and configured to operate each of said plurality of print cartridges in response to the determined performance characteristics print box.

Preferably, the controller is arranged to operate each of a plurality of removable inkjet print cartridges that differ in performance characteristics by one or more of: optimal print speed; ink capacity.

Preferably, the body includes a recess for receiving any one of a plurality of removable inkjet cartridges.

According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of facilitating upgrading an inkjet printer of the type including a pagewidth printhead, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an inkjet printer having a complementary cradle and an initial print cartridge, wherein the cradle is configured to operate a plurality of print cartridges having different performance characteristics;

The original print cartridge is replaced with another one of the plurality of print cartridges having improved performance characteristics.

Preferably, the different performance characteristics of the print cartridge include one or more of: print speed; ink capacity; number and type of ink.

The print speeds of the various print cartridges supported by the stand can vary from 15ppm to 60ppm.

The ink capacity of the various print cartridges supported by the stand can vary from 150ml ink to 300ml ink.

The number and type of ink loaded by the various print cartridges supported by the carriage may include any one or more of the following: black, cyan, magenta, yellow, infrared, and ink fixative.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print cartridge for an inkjet printer, comprising:

multiple inkjet print cartridges; and

a plurality of inkjet printer carriages, each comprising a body defining a recess and configured to receive and operate each of a supported set of inkjet printer cartridges of said plurality of inkjet printer cartridges;

Wherein those inkjet print cartridges of said plurality that do not belong to a set of supported inkjet print cartridges - with respect to a particular one of said plurality of inkjet printer racks - are shaped to prevent them from being received in said particular inkjet print cartridge into the recessed portion of the printer holder.

Preferably, the inkjet print cartridge includes a pagewide printhead and includes an internal wall ink storage device in fluid communication with the pagewide printhead. The internal ink storage device may include a plurality of individual ink storage reservoirs for independently storing ink for printing.

Preferably, inkjet print cartridges that are not supported by a particular inkjet printer stand are formed with a protrusion or a notch that engages with a notch or notch when attempting to insert said print cartridge into said stand. The protrusion fits.

In order to assist in intuitively identifying those inkjet print cartridges supported by a specific printer stand, an indicating device may be provided on the inkjet print cartridge and the inkjet printer stand. The indicating means may be in the form of colored markings or the like.

According to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, an inkjet printer support is provided, comprising:

a body complementary to a removable inkjet print cartridge of the type having a pagewidth printhead and ink supply; and

an integrated circuit assembly configured to test a verification device of said print cartridge

The authentication device for the removable inkjet print cartridge preferably includes a quality assurance chip which stores information about the operational performance of the print cartridge.

The printer cradle body preferably defines a recess for receiving the removable inkjet cartridge, and the integrated circuit assembly may include a connector mounted on the body that engages when the removable inkjet cartridge is inserted into the recess. The mounting position is sufficient to connect the quality assurance chip of the print cartridge. The integrated circuit package may also include a portion of the control circuitry of the inkjet printer cradle, the control circuitry may be configured to indicate a fault to validate the print cartridge validation device.

According to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, an inkjet printer support is provided, comprising:

a body defining a recess sized to receive a removable print cartridge of the type having a pagewidth printhead; and

a terminal on the body for contacting a corresponding terminal on the removable inkjet print cartridge when the cartridge is inserted into the recess, thereby facilitating connection between the bracket and the electrical connections on the print cartridge described above.

Preferably, the terminals on the printer support body are located on one or more walls of the recess. The recess may be an elongated recess, and the terminal end is preferably located on at least one end wall of the wall. In other embodiments, the terminal may be located on an opposite end wall of the elongated wall.

Each terminal of the printer cradle may include data and power terminals to facilitate transfer of data and power between the printer cradle and the inkjet print cartridge.

According to another embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, an inkjet printer support is provided, comprising:

a body defining an elongated recess sized to mate with a removable print cartridge of the type having a pagewidth printhead; and

power and data terminals located on opposite end walls of said recess for contacting corresponding terminals located on said removable inkjet print cartridge when said print cartridge is inserted into said recess, whereby Electrical connections are facilitated on the bracket and the print cartridge.

According to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, an inkjet printer support is provided, comprising:

a body defining a recess sized to receive a removable print cartridge;

a retaining means arranged to retain said print cartridge within said recess; and

One or more resilient elements arranged, in use, to retain the print cartridge securely to said retaining means and body.

In a preferred embodiment, the one or more resilient elements are arranged to bias the print cartridge against the retaining means during use of the printer and after retaining the print cartridge in the printer cradle. In another embodiment, the one or more resilient elements may be arranged to bias the printer cartridge against the support body during use of the printer.

The removable inkjet cartridge preferably includes a pagewidth printhead, wherein the printhead is preferably in fluid communication with a printing fluid reservoir contained within the removable inkjet cartridge.

The retaining means may comprise a latch and the one or more resilient elements may comprise one or more springs. Preferably, the recess in the printer frame comprises a shelf on which said one or more resilient members are positioned.

In another embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, an inkjet printer support is provided, comprising:

a body defining a recess having a shelf and sized to receive a removable inkjet print cartridge of the type having a pagewidth printhead;

a latch configured to retain the print cartridge within the recess; and

One or more springs positioned on the carriage, the springs arranged to bias the print cartridge against the latch in use.

In another embodiment of this aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for stabilizing an inkjet printer stand within an inkjet printer stand, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning the print cartridge within a recess defined by the body of the bracket;

retaining the print cartridge within the recess by a latch; and

The print cartridge is held securely to the latch and body by one or more resilient elements.

In one form, the step of holding the print cartridge secured may include biasing the inkjet print cartridge against a latch. Optionally, the step of holding the cartridge secure may comprise biasing the inkjet cartridge against the body.

According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided an inkjet printer cradle complementary to an inkjet print cartridge of the type including a pagewide printhead, said cradle comprising :

a plurality of mechanisms for assisting said print cartridge;

a single motor; and

A transmission assembly couples the single motor to each of the plurality of mechanisms.

Advantageously, said plurality of mechanisms includes an air compressor for supplying compressed air to said print cartridge and a print media transport assembly for transporting print media to a printhead for printing.

Preferably, the transmission assembly includes a direct drive coupling between the compressor and motor shaft. The direct drive coupling may include a worm gear extending from the motor shaft and meshing with a gear of the print media transport assembly to drive the print media transport assembly.

In another embodiment of this aspect of the invention there is provided an inkjet printer cradle complementary to an inkjet print cartridge, wherein the inkjet print cartridge is of the type including a pagewidth printhead, said cradle comprising:

an air compressor to generate the air that is directed through the pagewidth printhead;

a print media transport assembly configured to transport print media past the printhead;

a single motor; and

a transmission assembly configured to couple a single motor to the air compressor and the print media transport assembly;

Wherein said drive assembly includes a direct drive coupling from said single motor to an air compressor and a gear coupling from said shaft to said print media transport assembly.

According to a twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided an inkjet printer stand complementary to an inkjet print cartridge, wherein the inkjet print cartridge is of the type comprising a pagewidth printhead and a printhead auxiliary element arranged to Selectively performing a number of different functions relative to the printhead, the carriage includes:

A transmission assembly configured to selectively engage and drive the printhead auxiliary element.

The transmission assembly preferably includes a drive shaft, and the assembly is arranged to engage and disengage the print head auxiliary member when the drive shaft rotates in first and second directions respectively. In addition, the transmission assembly preferably includes a tumbler gear assembly for selective engagement with a drive shaft for a printhead auxiliary element, the tumbler gear assembly preferably including a first gear fixed to the drive shaft, from the first A gear radially shifts a second gear and a positioning element maintains said second gear and first gear in a meshed configuration.

According to the twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, an inkjet printer support is provided, comprising:

a body complementary to a removable inkjet print cartridge of the type having a pagewidth printhead and air inlet; and

An air compressor having an air outlet tube configured to couple to the air inlet when the inkjet printer cradle is engaged with the print cartridge.

Preferably, said printer cradle body defines a recess sized to receive and position said removable inkjet cartridge and said air outlet tube terminates within said recess. The air outlet tube preferably traverses a portion of the body of the inner frame defining the recess and has a terminal end arranged to facilitate passage of a seal through a seal in the removable inkjet cartridge. air inlet.

In another embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, an inkjet printer support is provided, comprising:

a body defining a recess sized to receive a removable inkjet printer cartridge of the type having a pagewidth printhead and air inlet; and

an air compressor having an air outlet duct disposed across a portion of the body of the inner frame defining the recess, said duct disposed so that when said inkjet printer holder is inserted into said recess The air inlet is coupled to the air inlet and is configured to facilitate passage of a seal through the air inlet.

According to the twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing fluid dispenser, comprising:

an ink storage reservoir having an ink outlet;

means for applying pressure to the ink reservoir to force ink through the outlet; and means for limiting the pressure of the ink forced through the outlet to a predetermined level.

Preferably, said ink reservoir comprises a deformable membrane and said means for limiting the pressure of ink forced through said outlet comprises means for limiting the application of pressure directly to said ink reservoir.

The means for applying pressure to the ink reservoir may include a handle, and the means for limiting the pressure applied to the ink reservoir may include a resilient member having deformation characteristics selected to limit the pressure to a predetermined level . The elastic element is preferably located between the ink reservoir and the means for applying pressure to the ink reservoir and preferably comprises a spring. Both the reservoir and the spring may be located within a portion of the handle.

In use, the dispenser is preferably coupled to the external reservoir and ink is forced through the outlet of the dispenser and delivered to the external reservoir. The external reservoir is preferably disposed within a removable inkjet cartridge and the predetermined pressure level is related to the pressure at which said external reservoir is ruptured.

In another embodiment of this aspect of the invention there is provided a printing fluid dispenser comprising:

a deformable container of printing fluid having an outlet;

a handle configured to apply pressure to the container to force ink through the outlet; and

A resilient member configured to limit the pressure applied to said deformable container by the handle to prevent rupture of an external reservoir coupled to said dispenser in use.

Preferably, said deformable container comprises a membrane for storing printing fluid, and said resilient member preferably comprises a spring comprising a platform arranged against said membrane.

According to a twenty-eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing fluid distribution system comprising a plurality of printing fluid dispensers, each printing fluid dispenser comprising:

One of a variety of printing fluids;

means arranged to place said dispenser in a predetermined position on a component of an inkjet printer to be refilled; and

An outlet positioned at one of a plurality of predetermined positions relative to the member depending on the type of printing fluid in the dispenser.

Preferably, said inkjet printer component is a removable inkjet cartridge, and said removable inkjet cartridge preferably includes a pagewidth printhead.

The means arranged to place said dispenser at predetermined positions preferably comprises a connector arranged to mate with a refill port of an inkjet printer component, and said plurality of predetermined positions of said outlet are preferably located by said The area determined by the connector.

In a preferred embodiment, the number of printing fluids includes a range of color inks for color printing.

In another embodiment of this aspect of the invention, there is provided a printing fluid dispensing system comprising a plurality of printing fluid dispensers, each printing fluid dispenser comprising:

color ink;

a connector configured to mate with a refill port of an inkjet cartridge to be refilled, the refill port comprising a plurality of discretely positioned inlets; and

an outlet arranged to cooperate with one of the discretely arranged inlets according to the color of said colored ink.

According to a twenty-ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing fluid dispenser, comprising:

a housing comprising first and second parts movable relative to each other;

a reservoir of printing fluid responsive to relative movement of the first and second portions and having an outlet configured to deliver printing fluid to a location external to the housing; wherein

In use, moving the first and second portions closer to each other causes printing fluid to emerge from the outlet.

Preferably, said reservoir comprises a deformable container within said housing, and said deformable container compresses when said first and second parts are brought closer to each other.

The first and second parts of the housing are preferably arranged to slide past each other, and a resilient member is preferably arranged between the deformable container and one or both of the first and second parts of the housing between. The resilient member preferably has features selected to limit the pressure within the deformable container in use to a predetermined level.

The resilient element may comprise a spring, and the first and second parts of the housing may comprise a base and a piston, wherein the spring is located between the deformable container and the piston.

The deformable container preferably comprises a deformable membrane.

In other embodiments of this aspect of the invention there is provided a printing fluid dispenser comprising:

a housing including a base and a piston;

a deformable container within the housing for storing printing fluid;

coupled to an outlet in the deformable container, the outlet configured to deliver printing fluid to a location external to the housing; and

a spring located between said deformable container and the piston, in use having features selected to limit the pressure within the deformable container to a predetermined level; wherein

In use, bringing the piston towards the base results in compression of the deformable container between the spring and the base and printing fluid exits through the outlet.

According to a thirtieth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing fluid dispenser, comprising:

a housing comprising first and second parts movable relative to each other;

a reservoir of printing fluid responsive to relative movement of the first and second portions and having an outlet configured to deliver printing fluid to a location external to the housing; wherein

The first and second parts include cooperating formations arranged to prevent relative movement of the parts relative to each other until a predetermined level of operating force is applied across the parts.

In a preferred embodiment, the reservoir of printing fluid comprises a deformable container within the housing, and moving said first and second portions closer to each other causes compression of said container, thereby delivering said Print fluid.

The first and second parts preferably comprise a base and piston, and the cooperating formation may comprise one or more complementary protrusions formed on opposing walls of the base and piston.

According to another embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing fluid dispenser, comprising:

a deformable container comprising a filled replenishment of printing fluid;

a housing including a base that slidably engages a piston and houses the deformable container; and

coupled to an outlet of the deformable container configured to deliver printing fluid to a location external to the housing; wherein

The first and second parts include cooperating formations arranged to prevent relative movement of the parts relative to each other until a predetermined level of operating force is applied across the parts.

According to a thirty-first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing fluid dispenser, comprising:

a housing comprising first and second parts movable relative to each other;

a reservoir for printing fluid responsive to relative movement of said first and second portions, and having an outlet configured to deliver printing fluid to a location external to the housing; wherein

The first and second parts include cooperating formations arranged to prevent engagement of the parts with one another following operation of the dispenser.

The reservoir for storing printing fluid preferably includes a deformable container located within the housing such that moving the first and second portions closer to each other causes compression of the container.

The first and second parts preferably comprise a base and piston, and the locking formation preferably comprises one or more complementary protrusions and indentations formed on opposing walls of the base and piston.

In another embodiment of this aspect of the invention there is provided a printing fluid dispenser comprising:

Deformable containers for printing fluids;

placing the housing of the deformable container between the bases slidingly engaging the piston; and

coupled to an outlet of the deformable container configured to deliver printing fluid to a location external to the housing; wherein

The base and piston are engaged with each other by means of one or more complementary protrusions and indentations formed on opposing walls of the base and piston and positioned in the dispenser Prevents the piston from detaching from the base after operation.

According to a thirty-second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of refilling a removable inkjet print cartridge, comprising the steps of:

Fits the removable print cartridge to the complementary inkjet printer stand;

Fit the refill cartridge onto the removable inkjet print cartridge;

Verify the authenticity of the removable print cartridge;

verify the authenticity of the refill cartridge; and

The scaffold is then manipulated based on the validation steps.

Preferably, the step of mating the removable inkjet cartridge to a complementary inkjet printer cradle includes making an electrical connection between an authentication device of the inkjet cartridge and a controller of the cradle.

The step of mating the refill cartridge to the removable inkjet cartridge preferably includes making an electrical connection between the authentication device of the refill cartridge and the controller of the cradle.

The subsequent step of operating the cradle based on the authentication step preferably includes indicating to the user that authentication of the refill cartridge or removable inkjet cartridge failed authentication.

In another embodiment of this aspect of the invention there is provided an inkjet printer comprising a controller configured to authenticate a removable inkjet print cartridge of said printer and a Disassemble the verification device for the refill cartridge of the inkjet print cartridge.

The controller is preferably located within the cradle of the printer and is coupled to electrical contacts mounted to the body of the cradle in a position to establish electrical connection with the authentication device. Each verification device preferably includes an integrated circuit.

It should be appreciated that the present invention provides a printer system that utilizes a printhead and an associated printing fluid storage device in the form of a print cartridge that can be removed and replaced at any time from the cradle apparatus of the printer system. The removable and replaceable print cartridge includes a printhead that is capable of providing higher quality and faster print jobs than existing printer systems, and allows the print cartridge to be refilled with printing fluid after depletion. The present invention also provides systems and methods for dispensing printing fluid refill cartridges into print cartridges to provide a printer system capable of providing high quality print jobs at high Remove and replace the print head easily.

Description of drawings

1 is a perspective view showing the front, top and right sides of a print cartridge and a printer stand according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a print cartridge.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the front, top and right sides of the print cartridge prior to insertion into the printer cradle.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the rear, bottom and left sides of the print cartridge.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the front, bottom and right sides of the print cartridge in a partially disassembled state.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the front, bottom and right sides of the print cartridge in an exploded state.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the underside of the base molding of the print cartridge, revealing a plurality of printing fluid tubes.

Fig. 8 is a right side view of the print cartridge.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the print cartridge.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view along the nozzles of the print head die in the first operating state.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view along the nozzles of the print head chip in the second operating state.

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view along the printhead die nozzles after ink drops have been ejected.

13 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a printhead die nozzle after ejecting ink droplets.

Fig. 14 is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of a nozzle of a print head chip.

Fig. 15 is a cross-section of a nozzle of a print head chip.

Fig. 16 is a three-dimensional and partially cutaway perspective view of the nozzles of the print head chip.

Fig. 17 is a top view of the nozzles of the print head chip.

Fig. 18 is a partially cut-away top view of the nozzle of the print head chip.

Figure 19 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of a printhead die.

Fig. 20 is a block diagram of a printer cradle.

Figure 21 is a perspective, front, left side, top side view of the printer stand.

Fig. 22 is a front view of the printer stand.

Figure 23 is a top view of the printer stand.

Fig. 24 is a bottom view of the printer stand.

Fig. 25 is a right side view of the printer stand.

Figure 26 is a perspective view of the right side, front and top side of the printer stand in an exploded state.

Figure 27 is a right side view, partly broken away, of the printer stand.

Figure 28 is a perspective, rear, left side and upper view of the printer cradle with the print cartridge inserted.

Figure 29 is a perspective, rear, left side and upper view of the printer stand with the RFI shield removed.

Figure 30 is a perspective detail view of a portion of the left side of the printer cradle.

Figure 31 is a perspective detail view of a portion of the right side of the printer cradle.

Fig. 32 is a perspective view of a single SoPEC chip control board.

Fig. 33 is a perspective view of a dual SoPEC chip control board.

Figure 34 is a block diagram of a SoPEC chip.

Figure 35 is a perspective view of the ink refill cartridge in an empty state.

Figure 36 is a perspective view of the ink refill cartridge in a full state.

Figure 37 is a perspective view of the ink refill cartridge in a disassembled state.

Figure 38 is a sectional view of the ink refill cartridge in an empty state.

Figure 39 is a sectional view of the ink refill cartridge in a filled state.

Figure 40 depicts a full ink refill cartridge aligned to dock to a print cartridge.

Figure 41 depicts the ink refill cartridge docked to a print cartridge prior to dispensing ink.

Figure 42 depicts the ink refill cartridge docked to a print cartridge after dispensing ink.

Detailed ways

Figure 1 depicts an inkjet printer 2 comprising a cradle 4 receiving a replaceable print cartridge 6 in a recess formed in the body of the cradle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . The print cartridge 6 is secured in the bracket recess by a retaining means in the form of a latch 7 connected to the bracket 4 by a hinge. An ink refill port 8 can be seen on the upper surface of the print cartridge 6 which, in use, receives an ink refill cartridge.

print box

Referring now to FIG. 2 , a block diagram of a removable inkjet print cartridge 6 is depicted. The print cartridge 6 includes an ink refill port 8 and an ink delivery assembly 10 for storing ink and delivering ink to a microelectromechanical pagewide printhead chip 52 . The print head chip 52 receives power and data from the frame 4 through the power and data interface 58 . The rotor element 60 mechanically driven by the support 4 has three faces, which are respectively used to: suck the ink around the print head chip 52 after ink ejection; cover the print head when it is not in use; and use it when printing. Make a roller. Thus, the rotor element 60 acts as an auxiliary component of the printhead as it assists in maintaining proper printhead function. The print cartridge 6 also includes an authentication device in the form of a quality assurance chip 57 containing various manufacturer codes which are read by the electronic circuits of the control board 82 of the carriage 4 during use. The manufacturer's password is used to verify the authenticity of the print cartridge 6 .

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 9 , and first to FIG. 6 , structurally, the print cartridge 6 has a box body that includes a base molding 20 that covers a polyethylene film 26 that Ink reservoirs in the form of bags 28, 30, 32, 34 are included, one for each of the four different printing fluids. Typically the printing fluid will be cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink. Additionally, a storage reservoir may also be provided within the base molding 20 to receive and store ink fixative and/or infrared ink as required for different applications. In this regard, there may be as many as six reservoirs disposed within the base profile 20 . The membrane 26 expands when it is filled with printing fluid, and conversely, the membrane shrinks as the ink is consumed during the printing process.

Cover molding 36 includes a recess 38 that accommodates ink inlet molding 24 having a plurality of passages. A plurality of orifices 42A- 42E are formed through the recess 38 and disposed in communication with the passageways of the respective ink inlet molding 24 . Channels of the ink inlet member deliver ink from an externally mounted ink refill cartridge to each ink reservoir through a series of ink delivery paths formed within the membrane 26 . An ink delivery path connects each orifice 42A-42E of the ink inlet member 24 with its dedicated ink reservoir 28-34. The ink is typically delivered under pressure, thereby causing it to flow into and expand the reservoir of the membrane 26 . Ink inlet seal 40 is located on the outside of recess 38 to seal apertures 42A-42E prior to use.

A pagewide printhead chip 52 is placed along the outside of the cartridge base molding 20 in the area below the ink reservoir. As shown in FIG. 7 , a plurality of tubes 43A- 43E are formed on the underside of the cartridge base molding and communicate directly with each ink reservoir 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 . The tube provides an ink delivery path from the underside of the cartridge base molding 20 to an inlet provided in the ink delivery molding 48 to which the printhead die 52 is attached.

Referring back to FIG. 6, the ink delivery molding 48 is preferably formed by an injection molding process from a plastic such as LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) and includes a plurality of elongated tubes disposed along its length, which are arranged to flow from Reservoirs within membrane 26 distribute printing fluid to printhead die 52 . Each elongated tube is dedicated to carrying a specific fluid—such as a specific color of ink or fixative—and allows the fluid to be dispensed along the length of the printhead. To assist in the controlled delivery of printing fluid, an ink seal 45 is placed between the ink cartridge base molding 20 and the ink delivery molding 48 . The ink seal is formed with orifices that allow fluid communication to occur between the two components, however, the seal serves to seal a channel formed in the cartridge base molding to prevent fluid leakage.

Formed within the cartridge base molding 20 adjacent the elongate ink distribution tube is an air distribution channel 50 for distributing pressurized air from the air inlet 76 above the nozzles of the printhead 52 . Air distribution channels extend along the length of printhead 52 and communicate with air inlets 76 . A perforated air filter 51 extends along the length of the air distribution channel 50 and serves to remove dust and particles that may be present in the air and which would otherwise contaminate the printhead 52 . The perforated air filter 51 has a porosity selected so that only air at a desired threshold pressure can pass, thereby ensuring that air is delivered evenly along the length of the printhead at a constant pressure. In use, the passage 50 is first filled with pressurized air until the air pressure reaches a threshold pressure within the passage. Once the threshold pressure is reached, air is able to pass through the perforated air filter 51 evenly along the length of the filter. The filtered air is then directed over the printhead.

The purpose of the pressurized air is to prevent degradation of the printhead nozzles by keeping them free from dirt and debris. Pressurized air is provided by an air compressor (item 122 of FIG. 14 ) integrated in the frame 4 . Once the cartridge 6 is inserted into the cradle 4 , the air nozzle of the compressor (item 124 of FIG. 15 ) passes through the air seal 44 and cooperates with the air inlet 76 . An air shield 54 is secured to the cartridge base molding and distributes air evenly through the printhead 52 in the manner described above.

Power and data signals are provided to printhead 52 via bus 56, which in turn is coupled to external data and power connections 58A and 58B. An authentication device in the form of a quality assurance (QA) chip 57 is mounted to connector 58A. Once the print cartridge 6 is inserted into the cradle 4, the data and power connectors 58A and 58B, and the QA chip 57 cooperate with corresponding connectors (parts 84A, 84B in FIG. power and data transfer between them. The QA chip 57 is tested in use by a portion of the control board 82 configured to serve as a suitable verification circuit.

The rotor element 60 is rotatably mounted adjacent to and parallel to the print head 52 . The rotor element has three faces as briefly described previously, namely: the cylinder face, which acts as a support for the print media while printing and assists in bringing the print media near the print head 52; The shroud side of the printhead to reduce the evaporation of printing fluid from the nozzles; the blotter side to absorb ink from the printhead after a printing operation. The three faces of the rotor element are spaced 120 degrees apart.

Extending at opposite ends of the rotor element 60 are axial pins 64A and 64B about which pins 62A and 62B are respectively secured. The free ends of axial pins 64A and 64B are housed in sliders 66A and 66B. Sliders 66A and 66B include flanges 68A and 68B that seat within slots 70A and 70B in end plates 22A and 22B. End plates are secured to either end of the cartridge base molding 20 .

Sliders 66A and 66B are biased toward the printhead ends of slots 70A and 70B by springs 72A and 72B, by which springs 72A and 72B are inserted into blind holes in sliders 66A and 66B and by which they seat in slots 70A and 70B. remain at either end above the protrusions of the , which is best seen in FIG. 8 . Consequently, the rotor element 60 is normally biased such that it is brought into position very close to the print head 52 .

During transport, and when the print cartridge 6 is inserted into the holder 4, the rotor element 60 is arranged such that its covering surface covers the print head 52 to prevent ambient air from drying the print head nozzles.

Print Head

A preferred design for the pagewidth printhead 52 will now be explained. The following types of printheads can be manufactured with widths greater than 8 inches where desired, and will typically include at least 20,000 nozzles, and in some variations greater than 30,000. A preferred printhead nozzle arrangement comprising a nozzle and corresponding actuator will now be described with reference to Figures 10 to 19. FIG. 19 shows a set of nozzle devices 801 formed on a silicon substrate 8015 . The nozzle assemblies are identical, but in a preferred embodiment different nozzle assemblies 801 are filled with different colored inks and fixatives. Note that the rows of nozzle assemblies are staggered from each other, which allows ink dots to be spaced closer together during printing than a single row of nozzles. Multiple rows also allow for redundancy (if needed), thereby allowing a predetermined failure rate for each nozzle.

Each nozzle assembly 801 is a product of integrated circuit manufacturing technology. In particular, the nozzle device 801 defines a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS).

For clarity and ease of description, the configuration and operation of the single nozzle device 801 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 18 .

The inkjet printhead chip 81 includes a silicon wafer substrate 801. 0.35 Micron 1 P4M silicon 12 volt CMOS microprocessor electronics are disposed on the wafer substrate 801.

A silicon dioxide (or optionally glass) layer 8017 is on top of the wafer substrate 8015 . The silicon dioxide layer 8017 defines the CMOS dielectric layer. The CMOS top metal defines a pair of aligned aluminum electrode contact layers 8030 disposed on the silicon dioxide layer 8017 . The silicon wafer substrate 8015 and silicon dioxide layer 8017 are etched to define an ink inlet channel 8014 having a generally circular cross-section (in top view). CMOS Metal 1 , CMOS Metal 2/3, Aluminum Diffusion Barrier 8028 of the CMOS Metal Top layer is positioned within the silicon dioxide layer 8017 around the ink inlet channel 8014 . Diffusion barriers 8028 are used to inhibit the diffusion of hydroxide ions through the driving circuit layer 8017 .

A passivation layer in the form of a silicon nitride layer 8031 is positioned over the aluminum shrink layer 8030 and the silicon dioxide layer 8017 . Each portion of the passivation layer 8031 positioned over the contact layer 8030 has an opening 8032 defined therein to access the contact layer 8030 .

The nozzle arrangement 801 comprises a nozzle chamber 8029 defined by an annular nozzle wall 8033 , which terminates at an upper end within a nozzle top 8034 and a radially inner nozzle edge 804 , which is circular in plan view. Ink inlet channel 8014 is in fluid communication with nozzle cavity 8029 . At the lower end of the nozzle wall, a moving edge 8010 comprising a moving sealing lip 8040 is provided. An annular wall 8038 surrounds the movable nozzle and includes a stationary sealing lip 8039 which abuts the moving edge 8010 when the nozzle is at rest as shown in FIG. 10 . A fluid seal 8011 is formed due to the surface tension of the ink trapped between the stationary sealing lip 8039 and the moving sealing lip 8040 . This prevents ink from leaking from the chamber while providing a low resistance coupling between the annular wall 8038 and the nozzle wall 8033 .

As best shown in FIG. 17 , a plurality of radially extending indentations 8035 are formed in top 8034 around nozzle rim 804 . The recess 8035 serves to accommodate the radial flow of ink that results from ink overflowing the nozzle rim 804 .

The nozzle wall 8033 forms part of a lever arrangement mounted to a bracket 8036 having a generally U-shaped profile with a base 8037 attached to the silicon nitride layer 8031 .

The lever arrangement also includes a lever arm 8018 extending from the nozzle wall and incorporating a transverse reinforcing beam 8022 . The lever arms 8018 are attached to a pair of passive beams 806 formed of titanium nitride and positioned on either side of the nozzle arrangement, as best seen in FIGS. 13 and 18 . The other end of passive beam 806 is attached to bracket 8036 .

A lever arm 8018 is also attached to the actuation beam 807, which is formed from titanium nitride. Note that this attachment to the actuating beam occurs at a point that is a small but critical distance above the attachment to the passive beam 806 .

As best shown in FIGS. 13 and 16 , actuation beam 807 is substantially U-shaped in plan view, defining a current path between electrode 809 and opposing electrode 8041 . Each electrode 809 and 8041 is electrically connected to a respective point within contact layer 8030 . The actuation beam is mechanically anchored to an anchor 808 as well as electrically coupled via joints 809 . The anchor 808 is configured to limit the movement of the actuation beam 807 to the left in FIGS. 18-20 when the nozzle is in the operative state.

The titanium nitride within the actuation beam 807 is conductive but has a sufficiently high resistance that it undergoes self-heating when current is passed between the electrodes 809 and 8041 . No current flows through the passive beam 806 so it does not expand.

In use, the device at rest is filled with ink 8013 which forms a half-moon 803 under the influence of surface tension. Due to the half-moon shape, the ink remains within the cavity 8029 and it will generally not leak if there are no other physical influences.

As shown in FIG. 11 , to eject ink from the nozzle, an electric current is passed between the contacts 809 and 8041 , which passes through the actuation beam 807 . The self-heating of the beam 807 causes the beam to expand due to its electrical resistance. The size and design of the actuation beam 807 means that most of the expansion occurs in the horizontal direction of FIGS. 18-20 . Expansion is limited to the left by anchor 808 so that actuation beam 807 abutting lever arm 8018 is pushed to the right.

The relative stiffness of the passive beam 806 in the horizontal direction prevents it from allowing much horizontal movement of the lever arm 8018. However, the relative displacement of the respective points of attachment of the passive and actuating beams to the lever arm creates a twisting motion that causes the lever arm 8018 to move generally downward. This movement is effectively a pivot or hinge. However, the absence of a true pivot point means that the rotation is about a pivot region defined by the bending of the passive beam 806 .

The downward movement (and slight rotation) of the lever arm 8018 is amplified by the distance from the driven arm 806 to the nozzle wall 8033 . The downward movement of the nozzle wall and top results in an increase in pressure within the cavity causing the meniscus to bulge as shown in Figure 11. Note that the surface tension of the ink means that the fluid seal 11 is stretched by this movement, but the ink is not allowed to leak.

As shown in Figure 12, at the appropriate time, the drive current is stopped and the actuation beam 807 cools and contracts rapidly. This contraction causes the lever arm to return to its rest position, which in turn causes the pressure within chamber 8029 to decrease. The interplay of the dynamics of the protruding ink and its inherent surface tension, and the negative pressure caused by the upward movement of the nozzle chamber 8029 causes the protruding meniscus to thin and eventually break to form an ink drop 802 which lasts up until it touches the adjoining print media.

Immediately after ink drop 802 separates, half moon 803 forms the concave shape shown in FIG. 12 . Surface tension causes the pressure within chamber 8029 to remain relatively low until ink is drawn upwards through inlet 8014, which returns the nozzle arrangement and ink to the rest position shown in FIG. 10 .

As best seen in Figure 13, the nozzle assembly also incorporates a testing mechanism that can be used after manufacture and periodically after the printhead is installed. The test mechanism includes a pair of contacts connected to a test circuit (not shown). A bridge 8019 is provided on a finger 8043 extending from the lever arm 8018 . Since the bridge 8019 is on the opposite side of the passive beam 806, actuation of the nozzle causes the bridge to move upwards into contact with the joint 8020. A test circuit may be used to determine that actuation results in closure of the circuit formed by contacts 8019 and 8020. If the circuit is properly closed, it can generally be presumed that the nozzle is operable.

bracket

FIG. 20 is a functional block diagram of the printer cradle 4 . The printer chassis is built around a control board 82 that includes one or more Small Office Home Print Engine Chips (SoPECs), the construction of which will be described in detail later. The control board 10 is coupled to a USB port 130 for connection to an external computing device, such as a personal computer or digital camera, including digital files for printing. The control panel 10 also monitors:

a paper sensor 192, which detects the presence or absence of print media;

A print cartridge chip interface 84, which in use is coupled to the print cartridge QA chip 57;

Ink refill cartridge QA chip contacts 132, which in use are coupled to an ink refill cartridge QA chip (shown as part 176 in FIG. 37); and

A rotor element angle sensor 156 which detects the orientation of the rotor element 60 .

In use, the control board processes data received from the USB port 130 and from a number of the aforementioned sensors, and in response drives a motor 110, tri-color indicator LED 135, and printhead chip 52—through the interface 84. As will be described in more detail below, motor 110 is mechanically coupled to drive various mechanisms that provide auxiliary services to print cartridge 6 . The drive mechanism includes:

a motor element drive assembly 145 for operating the rotor element 60;

a print media delivery assembly 93 that passes the print media through the printhead chip 52 during printing; and

Air compressor 122 , which provides compressed air to keep printhead die 52 free of debris.

As will be explained in more detail later, the motor 110 is coupled to each of the above mechanisms through a transmission assembly comprising a direct drive coupling from the motor shaft to the air compressor propeller, and a direct drive coupling to the rotor element Worm and gear drives for media transport components.

The structure of the bracket 4 will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 21 to 31 . As best seen in the exploded view of Figure 26, the carriage 4 has a body shaped complementary to the print cartridge 6 so that when mated together they form an inkjet printer. The stent body is formed from a base molding 90 and a stent molding 80 . The base profile serves as a support base for the stand and also positions the drive motor 110 , the rotor element roller 94 and the drive roller 96 . The base profile is fastened to the bracket profile 80 by means of a plurality of corresponding flanges 120 and slots 123 by snap-fitting. Bracket molding 80 defines an elongated recess 89 sized to position print cartridge 6 . A plurality of notches in the form of slots 86 are formed in the inner wall of the bracket for receiving complementary protrusions in the form of ribs 78 ( FIG. 4 ) of the printer cartridge 6 . Therefore, the printer cartridge 6 must be properly oriented to ensure it is fully received within the cradle molding 80 . In addition, the slots ensure that only those print cartridges that are supported by the stand's electronics and thus have non-interfering ribs can be inserted into the stand, thereby overcoming the stand's drive electronics attempting to drive print cartridges with unsupported performance characteristics The problem. The controller 82 is arranged to determine performance characteristics of the print cartridges inserted into the cradle 4 and to operate each print cartridge in response to the determined performance characteristics. Thus, it is possible to provide an inkjet carriage with a starting print cartridge with relatively basic performance characteristics, and then upgrade as required by replacing the starting print cartridge with an upgraded print cartridge with improved performance. For example, an upgrade print cartridge may have a higher print rate or hold more ink than the original print cartridge.

Referring to FIG. 25 , the drive shaft 127 of the motor 110 terminates in a worm gear 129 which meshes with a gear 125B which in turn is fixed to a drive roller 96 . Referring again to FIG. 26 , the drive rollers are supported at either end by bearing mounting assemblies 100A and 100B which in turn are secured within slots 101A and 101B of the bracket mount 80 . Similarly, rotor element translating rollers 94 and nip rollers 98 are also supported by bearing bracket assemblies 100A and 100B.

Referring now to FIG. 30, a flipper gear assembly 140 is provided opposite the motor end of the drive roller 96, the flipper gear assembly including a housing 144 that maintains an internal gear 142 and an external gear 143 meshing with each other. The internal gear is fixed to and coaxial with the drive roller 96 , while the housing 144 is free to rotate around the drive roller 96 . In use, the housing rotates with the drive roller 96 and with it the outer gear 143 until the housing engages the rotor element drive gear 146 against a stop or outer gear 143 on the bracket base molding 90 . The direction of rotation of drive roller 96 depends on the direction of drive current applied to the motor by control board 82 . The meshing of outer gear 143 with rotor element drive gear 146 forms rotor element drive assembly 145 comprising drive roller 96 , inner gear 142 , outer gear 143 and rotor element drive gear 146 . Thus, in this configuration, power may be transmitted from drive roller 96 to rotor element drive roller 94 .

Referring to FIG. 31 , the opposite ends of the rotor element drive roller 94 terminate in cams 148A and 148B which are located within respective cam followers 150A and 150B. Cam followers 150A and 150B are annular and are pivotally secured to one side by pivot pins 152A and 152B, respectively. Hinged jaws 154A and 154B are provided for gripping the rotor element slides (items 66A, 66B of Figure 6) of the print cartridge. The collets are pivotally connected to opposing pins 152A and 152B of cam followers 150A and 150B, respectively. Once the rotor element drive roller 94 rotates, the cams 148A and 148B abut the inner walls of the cam followers 150A and 150B, thereby causing the cam followers to lift and carry the collets 154A and 154B, respectively.

To ensure that the rotor element 60 is rotated through the correct angle, the frame 4 includes a rotor element sensor device 156 (FIG. 20) to detect the actual orientation of the rotor element. The sensor device 156 includes a light source and a detection device for detecting the presence or absence of reflected light. The rotor element 60 has a reflective surface arranged to reflect light from the light source so that the orientation of the rotor element can be detected by the sensor 156 . Specifically, by monitoring the sensor device 156 , the control board 82 is able to determine which face of the rotor element 60 abuts the printhead 52 .

In addition to driving drive roller 96 , motor 110 also drives an air compressor 122 comprising a fan housing 112 , air filter 116 and impeller 114 . The fan housing 112 includes an air outlet 124 adapted to mate with the air inlet port 76 of the print cartridge 6 (FIG. 6).

A metal back plate 92 is secured to the rear of the bracket molding 80 as best seen in the side view of FIG. 25 and the cross-sectional view of FIG. 27 . Mounted to the back plate 92 is the control board 82 carrying various electronic circuits. The control board is covered by a metal radio frequency interference (RFI) shield. Control board 82 is electrically coupled to bracket connectors 84A and 84B through a flexible PCB connector 106 and is also electrically coupled to an external data and electrical connection point in the form of a USB port connector 130 . USB connector 130 enables connection to an external personal computer or other computing device. The bracket connectors 84A, 84B are supported in slots formed at either end of the bracket molding 80, and are arranged so that once the print cartridge 6 is fully inserted into the recess 89 of the bracket molding, the bracket connectors 84A and 84B are connected to the print cartridge connector. 58A and 58B are in electrical contact.

The control board 82 is connected to the QA chip header through a variety of cable boots and a flexible PCB 106. The QA chip connector is located in a recess formed in the holder molding 80 and placed such that it contacts a QA chip 176 located in an ink refill cartridge 162 to be described later during ink refilling.

Control board 82 also drives a tri-color indicator LED (item 135 in FIG. 20 ) that is optionally coupled to light pipe 136 . The light pipe 136 terminates in an indicator port 138 formed in the bracket molding 80 so that the light from the tri-color indicator LED can be viewed from outside the housing.

control panel

A printing device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention has a functional structure, i.e. includes all necessary electronics, power and paper handling requirements, and a cartridge device - which includes a highly specialized printhead and ink handling requirements of the system - - A rack assembly so that the rack device can support a pod that enables different capabilities without purchasing a new rack device.

In this regard, a range of cartridge devices may be provided, each having a number of different features. For example, in simple form, a pod device can be provided with three different types:

· Primary device - 15ppm print cartridge with 150ml ink capacity

· Mid-level device - 30ppm print cartridge with 300ml ink capacity

·Professional equipment - 60ppm print cartridge with +300ml ink capacity

Such a system can be supported on a stand device, while users can consider purchasing different box devices according to their needs and costs.

In the case of professional equipment, specific rack equipment may be required which supports the more advanced and refined functionality of such box equipment. Cassette devices with different functionality can support markings such as color-coded logos so that their compatibility with rack devices can be easily identified.

In this regard, Figure 32 shows the main PCB arrangement for a rack device operating at 15-30 ppm, while Figure 33 shows the main PCB arrangement for a rack device operating at 60 ppm. As can be seen, these PCBs are almost identical with the main difference being the presence of two SoPEC chips in the 60ppm PCB. Thus, even if a user has purchased a rack device that was initially unable to support more powerful pod devices, the present system architecture allows easy upgrade of the rack device to support such a system.

The printer preferably also includes one or more system-on-chip (SoC) components, as well as print engine pipeline control application specific logic configured to perform some or all of the functions described above with respect to the print pipeline.

Referring now to FIG. 4, from a top-level perspective, a SoPEC device includes three distinct subsystems: a central processing unit (CUP) subsystem 301, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) subsystem 302, and a print engine Pipeline (PEP) subsystem 303 .

CPU subsystem 301 includes a CPU 30 which controls and configures all aspects of the other subsystems. It provides general support for connecting and synchronizing external printers with the internal print engine. It also controls the low speed communication to the QA chip (described elsewhere in this specification). The CPU subsystem 301 also includes various peripherals that assist the CPU, such as general purpose input output (GPIO, including motor control), interrupt controller (ICU), LSS master timer, and general timers. The Serial Communications Block (SCB) in the CUP subsystem provides a full-speed USB 1.1 interface to the host and an internal SoPEC interface to other SoPEC devices (not shown).

The DRAM subsystem 302 accepts requests from the CPU, Serial Communications Block (SCB) within the PEP subsystem. The DRAM subsystem 302, specifically the DRAM Interface Unit (DIU), arbitrates the various requests and determines which one should access the DRAM. The DIU arbitrates based on configuration parameters to allow enough access to DRAM for all requestors. The DIU also implies DRAM implementation specifications, such as page size, number of banks, and refresh rate.

Print Engine Pipeline (PEP) subsystem 303 accepts a compressed page from DRAM and assigns it a bi-level dot for a given print line going directly to a bi-level (bi-level dot) of up to 2 segments -linthic) Printhead interface for printhead communication. The first stage of the page expansion pipeline is the contone decoding unit (CDU), lossless binary decoder (LBD) and token decoder (TE). The CDU expands the contone (usually CMYK) layer compressed in JPEG, the LBD expands the compressed binary layer (usually K), while the TE decoder decodes the netpage tag for later colorization (usually IR or K ink). The output from the first stage is a set of buffers: contone FIFO unit (CFU), spot FIFO unit (SFU), and tag FIFO unit (TFU). CFU and SFU buffers are implemented in DRAM.

The second stage is the Halftone Compositing Unit (HCU), which dithers the contone layer and composites the position marks and bi-level dot layer on the resulting bi-level dithered layer.

Several compositing options can be implemented depending on the printhead used by the SoPEC device. Up to 6 channels of binary data are produced from this stage, although not all channels are present on the printhead. For example, a printhead could be CMY only, where K is pushed into the CMY channel and IR is ignored. Alternatively, if IR is not available (or for testing purposes), the coded marker can be K printed.

In the third stage, the dead nozzle compensator (DNC) compensates the dead nozzle in the print head by color redundancy and error distribution of the dead nozzle data in surrounding dots.

The resulting binary 6-channel point data (usually CMYK, IR, fixative) is buffered and written to a set of line buffers stored in DRAM via the Dot Line Write Unit (DWU).

Finally, the dot data is reloaded from DRAM and passed to the printhead interface through the dot FIFO. The dot FIFO receives data from the Line Loading Unit (LLU) at the system clock frequency, while the Print Head Interface (PHI) moves data from the FIFO and sends it to the print head at 2/3 times the system clock frequency.

In a preferred manner, the DRAM capacity is 2.5Mbyte, of which approximately 2Mbyte is available for compressed page storage data. Compressed pages are received in two or more bands, where multiple bands are stored in memory. As the pages of a zone are consumed by the PEP subsystem for printing, a new zone can be downloaded. This new area can be used for the current page or the next page.

By using partitioning, it is possible to start printing a page before downloading the full compressed page, but care must be taken to ensure that data is always available for printing, otherwise the cache will be overwhelmed.

The embedded USB 1.1 device receives compressed page data and control commands from the host PC and facilitates data transfer to DRAM (or to another SoPEC device in a multiple SoPEC system, as described below).

Multiple SoPEC devices may be used in alternative embodiments and may perform different functions depending on the particular application. For example, in some cases a SoPEC device may simply be used for its on-board DRAM, while another SoPEC device is used for the various decompression and formatting functions described above. This reduces the possibility of buffer overfill, which occurs when the printer prints a page before it has received all the data for that page and does not receive the rest of the data in time. Adding an additional SoPEC device for its memory buffering capabilities doubles the amount of data that can be buffered, even without utilizing any other capabilities of the other chip.

Each SoPEC system can have several quality assurance (QA) devices designed to cooperate with each other to assure the quality of the printing mechanism, the quality of the ink supply - so that the printhead nozzles are not damaged during printing, and The quality of the software - thus ensuring that the printhead and mechanism will not be damaged.

Typically, each printing SoPEC has a corresponding printing device QA, which stores information related to printing device characteristics, such as maximum printing speed. The print cartridge device may also include an ink QA chip that stores print cartridge information - such as the amount of ink remaining. The printhead also has a QA chip configured to act as a ROM (effectively as an EEPROM) that stores printhead specific information such as failed nozzle maps and printhead characteristics. The CPU in the SoPEC device optionally loads and runs program code from the QA chip, which effectively acts as a serial EEPROM. Finally, the CPU in the SoPEC device runs a logical QA chip (ie, a software QA chip).

Typically, all QA chips in a system are identical in physical construction, differing only in flash memory content.

Each SoPEC device has two LSS system buses that communicate with QA devices for system qualification and ink usage calculations. A number of QA devices can be used per bus, and the location of these QA devices in the system is unlimited, with the exception that print QA devices and ink QA devices should be on different LSS buses.

In use, the logic QA communicates with the ink QA device to determine ink remaining. The response from the ink QA device is judged with reference to the print QA device. The acknowledgment from the print QA device itself is authenticated by the logical QA device, thereby indirectly adding an additional level of authentication to the response from the ink QA device.

Data passed between QA chips - not printhead QA - is authenticated by data signatures. In a preferred embodiment, HMAC-SHA1 authentication is used for data and RSA authentication is used for program encoding, although other schemes may be used instead.

A single SoPEC device can control two dual-chip printheads and up to six color channels. Six channels of color inks are the maximum expected in a consumer SOHO, or office two-sheet printing environment, and include:

CMY (cyan, magenta, yellow), for conventional color printing;

K (black), for black and white text, line drawings and grayscale printing;

IR (infrared), used for applications with web page functions;

• F (Fixative), used to prevent smudging of the blot, thereby ensuring printing at high speed.

Because two-sheet printers can print so quickly, a fixative may be needed to allow the ink to dry before the page touches an already printed page. Otherwise, ink will flow between pages. In relatively low-speed printing environments, no fixative may be required.

In a preferred form, the color space of the SoPEC device is agnostic. Although it accepts contone data as CMYX or RGBX - where X is an optional fourth channel, it also accepts contone data in any print color space. Furthermore, SoPEC provides mechanisms for arbitrary mapping of input channels to output channels, including combining dots for ink optimization and generating channels based on any number of other channels. However, the input is usually CMYK for contone input, K for binary input, and optional web marker points are usually applied to the infrared layer. Fixative channels are typically created for fast printing applications.

In a preferred form, the SoPEC device is also resolution agnostic. It provides a mapping between input and output resolutions only by means of scaling factors. The desired output resolution for the preferred embodiment is 1600 dpi, but SoPEC actually has no knowledge of the dual-chip printhead physical resolution.

In a preferred form, the SoPEC device is page size agnostic. Contiguous pages are usually divided into regions, and are downloaded to page memory as per-region information is consumed.

ink refill cartridge

As noted above, the printhead cartridge 6 includes the ink storage membrane 26 including the internal ink reservoirs 28 - 34 connected to the ink refill port 8 formed at the top of the cap molding 36 . In order to refill the ink reservoirs 28-34, ink dispensers in the form of ink refill cartridges are provided, as shown in Figures 35 to 42 . The structure of the refill cartridge 160 will be explained mainly with reference to Fig. 37, which is an exploded view of the cartridge.

Cartridge 160 has an outer molding 162 that serves as an operating handle or “piston” and includes an inner spring assembly 164 . Spring assembly 164 includes a platform 178 from which spring element 180 extends against the inside of cover molding 162 . Spring elements bias the platform 178 against a deformable ink film 166, which is typically made of polyethylene and contains a printing fluid such as a color ink or a fixative. The ink film 166 is housed within a polyethylene base molding 170 which slides within the outer molding 162, best seen in Figure 38 cartridge 39 . An ink outlet tube 182 extends from the membrane 166 and fits within an elastic ring 172 formed on the bottom of the base molding 170 . A seal 174 covers the ring 172 until the ink refill cartridge is used.

Extending from the bottom of the base molding 170 is a flange 190 which serves as a positioning means, shaped to fit the refill port of an inkjet printer component such as the ink refill port 8 of the print cartridge 6 . The location of outlet tube 182 and collar 172 relative to flange 190 varies depending on the type of printing fluid that the ink refill cartridge is intended to contain. Accordingly, the printing fluid system is equipped with a plurality of printing fluid dispensers, each having an outlet positioned relative to the flange 190 according to the type of printing fluid contained within the dispenser. Thus, once the refill cartridge is fitted to the port 8, the outlet 192 fits into the appropriate inlet 42A-42E and thereby refills the particular reservoir 28, 30, 32, 34 dedicated to storing the same type of printing fluid.

Extending from the bottom of the base molding 170 is a flange 184 on which is mounted an authentication device in the form of a quality assurance (QA) chip 176 . Once the ink cartridge 160 is inserted into the ink refill port 8 , the QA chip 176 contacts the QA chip contacts 132 located on the carriage 4 .

Extending from the outer sidewall of the base molding 170 is a retaining protrusion 168 that is received in a recess that is either an insertion front recess 165 or an insertion rear recess 169, both of which are in the top cover. The molding 162 is formed around the inner wall, as shown in FIGS. 37 and 38 . The pre-insertion recess 165 is located near the opening of the top cover molding, while the post-insertion recess 169 is located further up the inner wall. When the ink cartridge 160 is fully filled, the retaining protrusion 168 engages with the pre-insertion recess 165 . As will be fully explained later, in order to overcome engagement, an insertion force (which exceeds a predetermined threshold) must be carefully applied to the dome molding. The insertion action expels ink through outlet 172 and overcomes the bias of spring assembly 164 so that base molding 170 is forced into cap molding 162 until retaining protrusion 168 is received into post-insertion recess 169 .

Example of use

In use, the print cartridge 6 is properly aligned over the frame 4 as shown in FIG. 3 and then inserted into the recess 89 of the upper frame molding 80 . As the cartridge device is inserted into the rack 4, the data and power contacts 84A and 84B on the rack are electrically connected to the data and power contacts 58A and 58B of the cartridge 6. At the same time the air nozzles 124 of the air compressor 122 pass through the air seal 44 and into the air inlet 76 of the cassette 6 .

As shown in Figure 27, the inner wall of the recessed portion 89 forms a seat or stand upon which the cartridge 6 rests after the cartridge 6 has been inserted. A plurality of resilient elements in the form of springs 190 are provided to bear against the cartridge after it has been fed into its position, the resilient elements also bear against the retainer tab as it locks onto the print cartridge. Thus, the spring serves to absorb shock during insertion and then securely holds the print cartridge with the bracket 4 and latch 7 by biasing the print cartridge securely in place against the latch. In an alternative, a spring could alternatively be located on the latch 7 , in which case the print cartridge 6 would be biased against the bracket 4 .

Due to the presence of the positioning grooves 86 and ribs 78 of the frame 4 and the cartridge 6, any attempt to insert the cartridge in the wrong way around will fail. Similarly, a print cartridge that is not intended to be used with the cradle will not have ribs corresponding to the detents 86 and will therefore not be received regardless of orientation. In particular, a print cartridge that needs to be driven by a carriage with two SoPEC chip control boards will not have the proper rib configuration to be received by a carriage with one SoPEC chip control board.

When the print cartridge device is first inserted into the cradle device 4 and during shipping, the rotor element 60 is oriented such that its shroud face engages the printhead 52, thereby sealing the printhead's nozzle apertures. Similarly, the cover surface also contacts the bottom of the printhead 52 to seal it when the printing device is not in use. Sealing the printhead reduces evaporation of the ink solvent, usually water, thereby reducing drying of the ink on the print nozzles when the printer is not in use.

A remote computing device, such as a digital camera or a personal computer, is connected to the USB interface 130 to provide power and print data signals to the cradle 4 . In response to the supply of electricity, the processing circuitry of the control board 82 performs various initial routines, including: verifying the manufacturer's code stored in the QA chip 57; checking the status of the ink pools 28-34 via the ink pool sensor 35; Check the state of the rotor element 60 at the sensor 156; check whether paper or other media has been inserted into the holder by means of the paper sensor 192;

A sheet of paper or other print medium must be introduced into the carriage 4 before a printing operation can be performed. Upon receiving a signal from the external computing device to start printing, the control board 82 checks for the presence of paper by means of the paper sensor 1192 . If there is no paper, the tri-color LED 135 is set to indicate that attention is needed and the controller no longer attempts to print. Alternatively, if the paper sensor 192 indicates the presence of print media, the control board 82 responds by rotating the rotor element 60 to a predetermined position for printing.

In this regard, the rotor element 60 is rotated so that its suction surface is located in the ink ejection path of the printhead 52 upon detection of the print mode of operation in the start-up phase or during a maintenance routine. The suction surface may then act as a type of container to receive ink from the print nozzles, the received ink being drawn into the body of the rotor element 60 due to the absorbent properties of the material provided on the suction surface. Since the rotor element 60 is part of the print cartridge 6, the rotor element is also replaced when the print cartridge is replaced, thereby ensuring that the suction surface does not fill with ink and become messy.

After a print command is detected at USB interface 130 and print media is determined to be present, control board 82 drives motor 110 , causing drive roller 96 to rotate and cooperate with pinch roller 98 to draw the print media through printhead 52 . At the same time, the control board 82 processes print data from an external computing device to generate control signals for the printhead 52 . Control signals are applied to the printheads through the carriage interfaces 84A, 84B, the transmission interfaces 58A, 58B, and the flex PCB contacts at either end of the printhead die 52 . The printhead chip 52 is bi-wafer, ie having two elongated chips extending the length of the printhead, with data provided at either end of the printhead where it is transmitted to each nozzle along the length of each chip. Power is supplied to the individual nozzles of the printhead chip through a bus that runs along the length of the chip. In response to received data and power, each nozzle of the printhead selectively ejects ink onto the print medium as the print medium is drawn past the platen of the rotor element 60, thereby printing the data signal transmitted to the USB interface 130 Images encoded in .

Operation of the motor 110 causes the air compressor 122 to direct air toward the print cartridge base molding. Air is transported within the cartridge base molding 20 to the space behind the air filter 51 through the fluid delivery path. Once the air pressure builds up to a sufficient level to break the resistance of the air filter 51, the air is directed through small holes in the air filter 51 along the length of the bottom of the cartridge base molding. When the printer is in operation, the diverted air is received between the printhead die 52 and the air shroud 54 and is directed across the printhead die surface, thereby serving to prevent printhead degradation by keeping the printhead free of dirt and debris .

Referring now to FIG. 40, the first step of the ink refill sequence is initiated by the refill sensor 35, which indicates to the control board 82 that the printing fluid in the reservoirs 28, 30, 32, 34 is low. In response to the signal from the refill sensor 35, the control board 82 activates the indicator LED 135. Alternatively, the detection of whether the printing ink is low can be calculated by the electronics of the control board. Since the volume of ink ejected by each nozzle is known and consistent throughout the operation of the printhead (approximately 1 picolitre), the amount of ink delivered by the printhead as well as each color or similar consumption can be calculated. In this regard, the control board 82 can monitor the consumption of each printing fluid, and once this level reaches a predetermined level, the tri-color indicator LED can clearly indicate to the user that the printing fluid needs to be replenished.

Light from the indication LEDs is delivered by the light pipe 136 so that an indication port 138 at the stand 4 provides an external indication to the operator of the printer. This indication may tell the user the color or type of ink that needs to be replenished. The control board can also send a signal to a remote computing device via the USB interface 130 to indicate to the user, via the computing device, the type of ink that needs to be replenished.

In order to carry out the refill procedure, the print cartridge 6 must be in place within the printer cradle 4 . An ink refill cartridge 160 of the desired ink type is then delivered to a location above the ink refill port 8 located on the upper surface of the print cartridge 6 . As mentioned above, ink refill port 8 includes a series of inlets 42A-42E protected by sealing membrane 40 . Beneath the sealing membrane 40, a plurality of printing fluid tubes 42A-42E are placed, which provide direct access to the ink reservoirs 28, 30, 32, 34. Ink inlets are provided for each printing fluid - ie C, M, Y, K and, if required, infrared ink and fixative. The locations of the inlets for each of the different fluids are strategically placed laterally along the inlet 8 so that the ink outlet pins 182 of the refill cartridge 160 are automatically aligned and aligned with the specific one for the particular print that the cartridge 160 holds and is to be replenished. The fluid inlets 42A-42E are in communication.

The second step of the ink refill sequence is shown in FIG. 41 . In this figure, the refill cartridge 160 has been docked into the refill port 8 within the print cartridge device. Once the refill cartridge 160 is docked with the refill port 8, the ink refill QA chip 176 automatically aligns with the QA connector 132 on the rack device. The control board 82 interrogates various codes stored within the QA chip 176 to verify the integrity and authenticity of the ink refill cartridge 160 . If the control board 82 determines that the QA chip 176 has verified the presence of genuine ink, ie, from the proper manufacturer and of the desired color or type, it sets the indicator LED 135 to yellow, thereby indicating acceptance of the refill cartridge 160 . Alternatively, the control board 82 may determine that there is an error condition, and in response thereto, set the LED 135 to red to indicate that there is a problem with the refill cartridge. For example, an error condition may be determined to exist if the QA chip 176 fails a verification step. Furthermore, it is often the case that only one storage pool 28, 30, 32, 34 needs to be replenished. For example, a storage tank assigned to store cyan ink may need to be refilled. In this case, whenever the QA chip 176 indicates that the ink refill cartridge 160 contains ink other than cyan, the control board 82 will set the indicator LED to red to signify an error condition.

It should be appreciated that in order to perform a QA validated refill, communication between all components of the printing device is required. That is, the print cartridge 6 must be located within the printer cradle 4 and the ink refill cartridge 160 must be docked with the print cartridge 6 so that the ink refill QA chip 176 is in contact with the QA chip connector 132 . This ensures that each refill action is controlled and reduces the potential for incorrect refills, which could impair printer operation.

As shown in Figure 41, when the ink refill cartridge 160 is docked in the refill port 8 of the print cartridge device 6, the ink outlet pin 28 passes through the sealing film 40 and has been refilled in one of the ports 42A-42E of the port to be in contact with A corresponding one of the ink inlets 24 communicates. The ink inlet 24 is provided as an elastomeric molding so that crossing of the ink seal 32 , which is located above the ink refill cartridge outlet pin 28 , occurs automatically. Thus, self-sealing fluid communication is ensured between the ink stored in refill cartridge 160, ink delivery tubes 43A-43E, and reservoirs 28-34. The self-sealing fluid communication results in pressurized ink fluid flow into one of the reservoirs 28, 30, 32, 34 once the outer molding 162 is pressurized.

As shown in FIG. 42, when the top cover molding 162 is pressurized, thereby causing the ink present in the ink refill cartridge 160 to be expelled into one of the print cartridge storage reservoirs 28-34, the ink refill sequence occurs. The third phase. After compressing the outer molding 162, it is apparent to the operator that the ink refill cartridge has been consumed and can thus be removed from the print cartridge 6, since the refill phase is now complete. Once the refill phase is complete, refill sensor 35 generates a signal indicating that the level of printing fluid in reservoir 28-34 is greater than a predetermined level. In response to the signal from the refill sensor, the control board 82 sets the indicator LED 135 to flash green, thereby indicating to the operator that the refill process has been successfully completed.

The force with which ink is expelled from the ink refill cartridge 160 is determined by the degree of insertion force the operator applies to the cap molding 162 . Thus, the cap molding 162 acts as an operating handle or piston for the refill cartridge. It can thus happen that ink is delivered to the print cartridge 6 at an unsuitable high pressure if the refilling step is not performed carefully or in a hurry. This pressure can cause the ink stored in the print cartridge 6 to burst the ink storage membrane 26 and thus cause ink to spill within the print cartridge device, which can irreparably damage the print cartridge. The inner spring formation 164 prevents inadvertent rupture of the membrane by providing a safety mechanism that prevents ink expelled from the refill device from being subjected to excessive pressure. In this regard, the spring profile 164 is designed to limit the maximum force transmitted from insertion of the cap profile 14 to the deformable ink film 26 . Any force applied to the cap molding 14 that would cause ink to expel at pressures above the maximum allowable level is absorbed by the spring molding 164 and stored within the spring element 180 . The spring former 164 is suitably designed to prevent the momentary application of undue force to the refill membrane 26 . That is, its deformation and/or elastic characteristics are selected such that they limit the pressure within the membrane to a predetermined level.

As best seen in FIGS. 38 and 39 , a retention tab 168 is located on the side of the base molding 170 . When the ink cartridge 160 is in its pre-insertion state, the holding portion 168 is engaged with the pre-insertion concave portion 165 . The engagement of the protrusion 168 with the pre-insertion recess provides an additional measure of safety during refilling. This is because the engagement prevents undesired force from being applied from the cap molding to the inner ink film 166, and thereby prevents inadvertent insertion of the cap during shipping or delivery. After ink refill cartridge 160 is docked with the refill port, top cap 162 is inserted with sufficient force to overcome engagement of retaining protrusion 168 by pre-insertion recess 162 . Insertion of the cap molding 162 causes the platform 178 of the spring assembly 164 to bear against the ink membrane 166 , thereby expelling ink through the outlet tube 182 and into the cartridge ink reservoir membrane 166 . In order to overcome the initial engagement of the retaining protrusion 168, an initial substantial force must be applied. The spring element acts momentarily to protect the ink film 166 from excessive pressure in this situation. After the initial application of force, normal insertion begins. As shown in FIG. 38 , once the refilling step is complete, the retaining protrusion 168 engages a locking means in the form of a post-insertion recess 169 disposed towards the top of the inner wall of the cartridge outer molding 169 . The engagement of the retaining protrusion 168 with the upper recess 169 locks the cartridge outer molding 169 to the base molding 170 after the ink has been evacuated. As can be appreciated, this arrangement overcomes the potential problem of a user attempting to replenish the ink refill cartridge 162 with inferior ink that would result in damage to the nozzles of the print cartridge as well as the ink refill cartridge. In its inserted configuration, the spent ink refill cartridge will be returned to the supplier. The supplier will provide a tool to open the refill cartridge and return the top cover to its upper position, where real ink can be refilled into the refill device for recycling, and the QA chip 176 reprogrammed to verify the authenticity of the ink. sex.

It will of course be understood that the foregoing is given by way of example only of the invention and that all such changes and variations which would be obvious to a person skilled in the art are deemed to be within the broad scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

While the invention has been illustrated and described with reference to exemplary embodiments, various changes will be apparent to and can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the appended claims is not intended to limit the description made herein, but rather these claims should be interpreted broadly.

Claims (17)

1. A printing box for an inkjet printer, said printing box comprising: a printing fluid storage device comprising a plurality of ink reservoirs, wherein each of the ink reservoirs is configured to store a predetermined type of printing fluid; an ink refill port provided on the housing of the print cartridge, the ink refill port being adapted to receive and engage an ink refill cartridge; and a pagewidth printhead in communication with said printing fluid storage means, wherein the ink refill port includes a plurality of inlets, each inlet corresponding to one of the plurality of ink reservoirs, and Each inlet is disposed laterally along the ink refill port, the location of each inlet being specific to a corresponding ink reservoir. 2. The printer cartridge of claim 1, wherein the printer cartridge is adapted to be detachably inserted into a cradle of the inkjet printer. 3. The printer cartridge of claim 1, wherein the pagewidth printhead is configured to produce a print footprint that is at least 8 inches wide. 4. A printer cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said printing fluid storage means is contained within a body including means for replenishing printing fluid from an external source. 5. The printer cartridge of claim 1, wherein the pagewide printhead includes at least 20,000 printing fluid delivery nozzles in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage means. 6. The printer cartridge of claim 5, wherein the pagewide printhead includes at least 30,000 printing fluid delivery nozzles in fluid communication with the printing fluid storage means. 7. The printer cartridge of claim 1, wherein the printing fluid storage means includes one ink refill port for each reservoir. 8. The print cartridge of claim 1, wherein the ink storage pool independently stores a set of color inks sufficient for color printing. 9. The printer cartridge of claim 8, wherein the ink reservoir also independently stores an ink fixative to assist in fixing ink delivered by the pagewidth printhead. 10. The printer cartridge of claim 9, wherein the ink storage pool independently stores infrared ink for printing. 11. The printer cartridge of claim 10, wherein a first electrical connector is arranged to be electrically connected to the pagewide printhead and is arranged adjacent to a first end of the pagewide printhead for connection to an inkjet printer. the first corresponding connector to mate. 12. The printer cartridge of claim 11 , wherein a second electrical connector is arranged to be electrically connected to the pagewide printhead and is arranged adjacent to a second end of the pagewide printhead for connection to an inkjet printer. mate with the second corresponding connector. 13. A print cartridge as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein when said print cartridge is housed in an inkjet printer, power and data can be communicated with corresponding electrical contacts of the inkjet printer via said first and second electrical connectors. The mating relationship between the connectors is conveyed from the inkjet printer to the pagewidth printhead. 14. A printer cartridge as claimed in claim 13, wherein the printer cartridge includes an assembly arranged to direct air over the pagewidth printhead. 15. The printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein said assembly includes a filter for filtering said air before it is directed through said pagewidth printhead. 16. A printer cartridge according to claim 15, wherein said assembly includes an inlet for receiving air from an external source. 17. The printer cartridge of claim 16, wherein the external source is located within the inkjet printer.

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